The family of night-watchman Hefnawy Ahmed has gathered outside the Dayrout police station, where he worked, for the fourth day in a row and called for his release.
Ahmed went missing on Friday, when he left for work and didn’t return. His colleagues at the police station informed his family Saturday night that he was accused, alongside another employee, of stealing from the police station’s safe and has been detained since Friday. EGP 120,000 was stolen from the safe.
Ahmed’s lawyer Ahmed Badawy said: “The safe is a metal one; only the deputy sheriff has the key.”
Badawy stated that the safe is in perfect condition following the theft, implying that the deputy sheriff is a suspect.
Ahmed’s family visited him on Sunday. He told his cousin, Mahmoud Shafiq, he was insulted, beaten up and tortured, without any official charges brought against him. He accused police officers Alaa Abdel Rahman and Mohamed Hamed and “secret informer” Salama Ibrahim Mohamed of brutality.
The Arab Penal Reform Organisation coordinated with Ahmed’s mother in filing a report to the prosecutor general and the minister of interior. The report accused the three men of assaulting, torturing and unjustly detaining Ahmed.
Badawy said: “He was suspended by the feet and electrocuted. I don’t care if he stole the money; he shouldn’t be treated like that regardless of the reasons.”
Badawy added that the other detained employee, Mahmoud Abdel Aleem, faced similar treatment.
The prosecution began formally investigating Ahmed on Monday, four days after his detention. He is officially accused of stealing the safe.
Badawy stated the prosecutor had repeatedly stalled the investigation.
Article 35 of the newly passed constitution necessitates that the detained is informed of the charges he is facing within 12 hours of his detention, and that he should be transferred to investigation within 24 hours.
